Can I vs May I?

Can I vs May I?

But the 'permission' use of can is not in fact incorrect in standard English. The only difference between the two verbs is that one is more polite than the other. In informal contexts it's perfectly acceptable to use can; in formal situations it would be better to use may.

Could you please vs Can you please?

If taken literally, "Can you" is equivalent to asking the person if they're capable of doing something. "Could you", on the other hand, implies that the action can be completed under some circumstances by the person. The usage of can you is idiomatic, and hence, is more popular used phrase of the two.

Will and would use?

Will and would are verbs, and each can be used many different ways. … It can also be a modal auxiliary verb in various tenses. Would is a past tense form of will. It is also a conditional verb that indicates an action that would happen under certain conditions.

Can past tense?

I like this question because "can" and "could" are common but part of an irregular verb. There is no infinitive "to can" one would use "to be able" So to answer the questions: 1) If the sense of "could" was intended to be the past tense of can then it is more idiomatic to say, "He was able to come yesterday".

When should I use can and could?

When could is used as the past tense of can, it refers to an ability that a person generally had in the past or to something that was generally possible in the past ("When I was younger, I could run for miles," or "It used to be you could buy lunch for a dollar.").

Where could is used?

"Could" is a modal verb used to express possibility or past ability as well as to make suggestions and requests. "Could" is also commonly used in conditional sentences as the conditional form of "can." Examples: Extreme rain could cause the river to flood the city.

What is the future tense of could?

The use of 'could', 'would', or 'will be' all imply future tense. The past tense version would be: … "Can" may be used either as future or present tense, but using "is" or "am" almost always implies present tense.

Could meaning and use?

Could is sometimes considered to be the past form of can1, but in this dictionary the two words are dealt with separately. 1. modal verb. You use could to indicate that someone had the ability to do something. You use could not or couldn't to say that someone was unable to do something.

When we use can?

"Can" is one of the most commonly used modal verbs in English. It can be used to express ability or opportunity, to request or offer permission, and to show possibility or impossibility. Examples: I can ride a horse.

Could you or can you more polite?

To answer the question: "could" definitely sounds slightly more polite than "can" to a native speaker since it is less direct and more deferential as a result. "Could" is a form of "can", so both are technically asking "are you able to…". … This is polite, don't worry about it in practical terms.

Is an auxiliary a verb?

A list of verbs that (can) function as auxiliaries in English is as follows: be (am, are, is, was, were, being, been), can, could, dare, do (does, did), have (has, had, having), may, might, must, need, ought, shall, should, will, would.

Can you explain or could you explain?

If this is what you meant to write, then would means that you would like someone to explain it to you. Can, in context, would refer to if you can explain it. In other words, can sounds more demanding and would means it's optional or something.

Can could be able to grammar?

"Able" is an adjective meaning: having the power, skill or means to do something. … Be able to is possible in all tenses – but "can" is possible only in the present and "could" is possible only in the past for ability. In addition, "can" and "could" have no infinitive form.

What is the different between should and shall?

The basic difference between “shall” and “should” is that “should” is the past tense of “shall.” But when we use these words or modals, the usage is not as simple as using “should” in place of “shall” in the past tense. … “Should” is the conditional form used for “shall.”

Could have meaning?

Could have means that something was possible in the past, but it did not happen.

Where we use should?

"Should" is a modal verb most commonly used to make recommendations or give advice. It can also be used to express obligation as well as expectation. Examples: When you go to Berlin, you should visit the palaces in Potsdam.